The Downfall of the Team
by Malaizjan DeJesus
Summary: How does the LOD take down the new covert team of the JLU? By going after their leaders. What happens when Mathen and Meygan fall right into their plans to divide the team? Can Kevin, Terry and Areina save Meygan? Will Mathen be able to see what is really going on before the LOD wins? *This is #26 in the BB series between Reina Grayson and myself*
1. Chapter 1

The Downfall of the Team

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: This is #26 of the BB series that Reina Grayson & I have been working on. There are so many smaller stories that need to fit in but they can be written at a later date. This is the final fic before #27: An Apprentice's Future. It's a long awaited fic that isn't fully written just yet-but I have the first few chapters done at least. So without further ado…

Mathen was in trouble.

Morgan La Fay had him cornered at the edge of the forest. She was enjoying this cat and mouse game but Nightwing II was not to be underestimated.

Mathen threw a fireball at the ancient sorceress.

It was countered with a blast. A 2nd blast sent him back.

Morgan advanced with purpose in each step. "Did you think you were a match for me? Your magicks are small compared to mine."

"I'm not done yet!" Mathen leaped up, a front snap kick catching her jaw, then a blast knocked her on her butt. He was exhausted but he wasn't going to give up.

Morgan then threw dirt at Mathen and as he covered up, Morgan trapped him in magical binds, ribbons of magic that were crushing him. "Let's see you get out of that."

Mathen fought to get free, misfires of fireballs going everywhere. His ribs were breaking. His bones cracking, he let out a defiant scream before he blacked out.

The program ended.

Mathen landed hard on the floor.

"Program training simulation failed. Do you wish to restart?" the comp asked Mathen.

"_Restart_," Mathen said darkly.

Terry McGinnis had just finished training with Alpha Squad. He was sore; Meygan was a strong leader. Even Dick said so. He had to agree.

He went by Training Room 5 and saw it was in use. Terry looked at the control panel and saw who was running it. Then he looked at the program running. He then walked away from it and tapped his ear piece. "Hey Dick?"

"Terry?" The covert team's mission leader responded.

"Yeah. Listen, I found Mathen. He's in T.R. 5. Looks like it's been running for about 10 hours."

"10 Hours!" Dick shouted. "Terry, are the safety protocols off?!"

Terry scrolled the screen to check. "Yeah. All but one."

"SHUT IT DOWN! NOW!" Dick cried. "We're on our way!"

"Great! How am I supposed to do that!?" Terry then had something come to him. He pulled off the panel and found the small tube-like module and pulled it out, cutting off the power.

Then Batman headed back to the door in time to hear a cry of rage. Terry gulped-Mathen was mad about something.

The double doors opened a bloody and beaten Mathen Greyson stumbled out. He glared at Terry. "What…the…hell…_ Batman_…"

Terry had never seen the team's co-leader so angry. But Mathen looked like he was fighting a war. Bruises, cuts and he was holding his side. "Mathen, your dad asked me to. Why were you training without the safeties intact?"

Mathen punched Terry in the gut, he moved so fast. He then caught Terry's retaliating punch and punched him in the face.

Terry went down.

Meygan was meditating in a remote part of Watchtower. Away from all those emotions, she could meditate better and suppress hers. For almost 40 minutes, she had utter control.

Without realizing it, Meygan was in danger. Above her was a black, shiny mass that slithered on the wiring above her. It watched her with interest.

But Meygan lost her focus. A sudden anger rose up to disrupt her inner calm and she crashed to the floor in a heap. She was mad but at the same time curious, why was _he_ so mad?

So young Rave teleported herself to her brother, to get those answers.

The black mass was relived when the girl left. But she was restless, with the waiting. How much longer did she have to wait?

Back at Training Room 5…

Terry got a chance to kick at Mathen's shoulder. To stop a punch coming at him. He had to stop the fight or Mathen was going to be out of commission!

That was when two sets of hands grabbed Terry from Mathen & another two sets grabbed Mathen. Terry stopped fighting. Mathen tried to take out whoever grabbed him.

Kaldur placed Mathen in a hammer lock, and Mathen felt his already injured arm take more injury so he stopped fighting.

"What the FUCK is going on here!?" Jason cried as he and Tim held Terry back.

"Mathen's gone nuts!" Terry cried. "I did what Dick asked me to do. And he gets mad about it!" Satified, Jason and Tim let Terry go.

"Mathen," Dick said. But it was the way it was said that everyone knew he wanted answers.

Mathen said nothing, refusing to answer any of his dad's questions. He wasn't going to tell anyone what was going on.

"Mathen?" Meygan's soft voice filled the air as she materialized near him, staring in shock at the anger rolling of him.

Mathen's eyes narrowed onto his sister. "You. It's always you." His voice was dark and angry.

"Me?" she asked him.

"You put Kid Fate on Omega Squad."

Meygan's eyes widened in answer. "He was here?"  
"Who's Kid Fate?" Terry asked. "Is he Doctor Fate's son?"

"Yeah," said Orin. " But he quit the team week after it was formed."

"He was here. He told me what I needed to hear to modivate me. I was supposed to be stronger than YOU."

"I know," she said quietly.

"And I will be the tier 3 wizard I am meant to be." Mathen's voice was full of determination.

"Then why are you mad at me?" she asked her brother.

"Because YOU flaunt your powers like you're some kind of GODDESS! Getting sympathy from everyone! _'Poor little me. I died…' _"

Meygan gasped.

"You got yourself killed on purpose! And now you got powers and magic! You're such a power hungry brat!"

"Mathen!" Dick cried. "That's enough!"

Meygan's lip quivered slightly as her brother's words cut deep.

"And you _have_ to go and save Uncle Wally! Like no one else can do it!"  
Meygan was shaking, him bearing all of her fears out in the open. How did he know she felt that way about herself?

"So I tell you what,sis. Why don't you go and play hero right now. Take out the LOD for us! Oh, that's right! YOU CAN'T! You will never take them on alone! You're such a coward!"

Orin had enough. He punched Mathen in the mouth, busting his lips. "What's wrong with you!?"

A single tear rolled down her face and she started to teleport.

Areina had arrived just a minute earlier and reached out to her cousin. But as soon as she touched her arm, her hand frosted over, lowering her body temperature a little bit. Shocked, Areina pulled her hand back and Meygan teleported away.

Orin took Areina's frosted hand and rubbed it furiously to warm it back up. He looked over to his best friend. Mathen had gone too far. "Why!? Why now!? The team needs to be one and you just ripped your sister's heart out!"

"Who cares!" Mathen said. But his eyes were darkening.

On Earth, in Great Britain…

The ruins of Camelot still stood and Meygan sat in what was left of the throne room. The floor was nearly caved in, and only one throne remained-King Arthur's.

That was where she sat, trying to hold her emotions in. Why was her brother mad at her? It wasn't her fault that she died and came back with powers.

Her emotions were all over the place. Controlling them was next to impossible. There were like toddlers demanding her attention all at once. She was on overload with them. And Raven wasn't around to catch her.

Mordred was watching Meygan from above her on the remnants of the balcony. She let out little cries of anguish and those sounds were music to his ears. Strife had done his job. Now it was his turn. He slowly made his way to the tarnished, cracked floor to take her unawares.

Meygan stood up; she hoped that running would help. She wasn't trying to flaunt her powers; she wasn't a goddess. Her brother's words echoed in her mind; she couldn't make it stop.

A small snap.

Meygan turned around, only to get punched in the face, knocking her out.

Mordred stood over her, merely smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

The Downfall of the Team

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: This is #26 of the BB series that Reina Grayson & I have been working on. There are so many smaller stories that need to fit in but they can be written at a later date. This is the final fic before #27: An Apprentice's Future. It's a long awaited fic that isn't fully written just yet-but I have the first few chapters done at least. So without further ado…

Chapter 2

"Whoa. This was…King Arthur's…" Terry, as Batman could not believe he was standing in what remained of Castle Camelot. He, Kevin and Areina were able to follow S.B.P.'s psychic train of Meygan to the castle but her trail went cold.

"Kevin…why would she be here?" Terry asked. The castle wasn't really stable structurally.

"Nostalgia," he answered. "She traveled to Camelot during those 3 weeks she ran away. I think she came her to sort out her emotions. The dam burst on her before she was ready. She needs a physical representation of her most calming period of time to regain control of herself."

"So…we have to search for her?" Areina asked. The air was chilly to her. But for her cousin, this was a comfort.

We have to. Mathen broke her emotionally, I think. She needs help to restore her calm or she's lost. And without Aunt Raven around, it falls to me and my mom." Kevin's voice hitched.

Meygan woke up. She felt cold.

For the first time since she came back from the dead, she actually felt something physically. The numbness was everlasting to her. She exuded cold to anyone who touched her. But now she was cold.

She reveled in it. IT was a shock to her body but she didn't care. She was cold again. After 5 minutes though, something didn't feel right so she slowly opened her eyes. A slight pinch greeted her.

Meygan was held in place by thick, thorny vines, the thorns breaking her skin. _Her skin?_ The eldest daughter of Nightwing realized that she was standing on her feet, arms and legs stretched to their limits, and only wearing her bra and boy shorts.

No wonder she was cold.

But why was she feeling the cold? Where was Mona?!

She slowly looked around and saw that she was in the Enchanted Forest, a forest that was magic enriched. She knew it well, visiting it with her uncles in the past.

"It's about time you woke up." Mordred hopped off the tree.

"You are _so_ annoying," she said. She pulled on the vines but they wound tighter, piercing her skin with those thorns. Something was being pumped into her, her vision was shaking, her mind screaming for her to run but she didn't know why. She saw Mordred change to a black demon with fork-like horns and back again.

"Maybe so. But I get the last laugh." Mordred moved closer to Meygan. "I'm glad you have your magic again. Having you in my harem won't be a waste."

Meygan glared at him. "Mih nword, mih nword, mih nword, ekal eht fo ydal!"

The mystical lake drew up water from its boarders and raced forth to obey.

Mordred blasted the waves of water as it came at him. He grinned as all of her attacks were deflected.

Meygan was seeing Slade in Mordred's place. She shook her head and Slade faded back into Mordred.

"You're wondering why your fears are showing up; you've been pierced by fear toxin, courtesy of the late Scarecrow. Talia a'Ghul has access to the most interesting of things."

Her eyes widened. She saw the thorns pierce her flesh and she realized that her _and_ Mona were in trouble. _'Mona!'_

'_Keep them away!'_ She heard Mona whimper. _'Please…'_

She stared at Mordred. She was truly feeling the cold now, and she swore she could hear Slade's voice. But Mona was crying, for Mordred kept switching out with various demons. She shook her head. The thorns were in her skin, and any movement tightened the vines' hold on her.

'_You shouldn't have come back, Demona,'_ said one demon.

Meygan shook her head. But she was seeing them all; tall, horned, fanged demons, reaching for them.

'_You know what we're going to do now.'_

"NOooo…" Meygan whimpered.

Two blood-red demons bit into her wrists and Meygan screamed; their teeth had her skin and bones in them.

The brown-skinned demon threw up his arm, claws extended. It came down on her, raking her, blood spilling into her vision. All she could see was red now.

Meygan screamed again.

Mordred watched as Meygan cried, tears of pain falling down her face.

A batarang came right at Mordred, and the child-immortal jumped back to avoid it.

Terry McGinnis landed next to where his batarang landed. She saw the state of undress of Meygan and the bluish tint to her exposed skin. Even he felt the chill in the air and he was completely covered. "What did you do to her!?" Terry threw two more batarangs.

Mordred stopped them with a quick spell and they exploded in mid-air. "She's just getting in touch with her fears."

Meygan screamed again, for Mordred became Slade. She couldn't stop the rising panic from overtaking her. She didn't want to die. Not again. _'I told you I would make you suffer. The first girl born among the boys…and yet, you get in my way the most. The archer was mine and you stopped me. I dare you, demon, to stop me now.'_ Slade raised a gun at Batman, at Terry, and pulled the trigger. He was shot in the head, dead before his body hit the ground.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed, her voice strained as she sent dark blasts at 'Slade'.

One of those blasts did hit Mordred, and Terry took the distraction to tackle the wizard to the ground. He got in two solid punches before Mordred kicked Terry in the gut to get him off.

Terry managed to land on his knees. "You LOD jerks are sick!"

"We try," Mordred commented.

"Drow's sickness has infected all of you!" Terry bit back.

An inivisible force grabbed Mordred from behind and tossed him into a tree. SBP landed from the air, eyes glowing Martian Red. "Free her, Red Bird," SBP told the fire controller, a dangerous tone to his voice. He glared at the child wizard. "You will pay for harming my princess."

"And she _is_ a princess," Mordred said cryptically.

That made Kevin mad.

Areina stared to burn the vines holding her cousin, being careful not to burn Meygan. But her cousin struggled to get free and all that moving made it that much harder.

As soon as one of Meygan's arms was free, a vine whipped up and trapped Areina's arms together in front of her. She had no choice but to stop her power, less it burned her cousin.

The thorns were desperate to pierce her skin and Areina heated her body so she could burn the vines from her.

One got her ankle and the thorns pierced her skin before she could burn it. "AAAHHH!" she dropped to one knee. She shook her head, as it grew foggy. She burned the vines from her ankle and arms and worked fast to free Meygan. As the vines fell away from her cousin, her vision wavered.

Areina shook her head and her cousin was free from the vines so she went to catch her but Meygan disappeared, and Vincent was in her place.

"Vincent?" she said, confused.

He didn't move.

Areina looked up as she kneeled next to her brother and gently laying him onto the ground.

There was Slade.

She swore that SBP was there just a second ago. Then Slade's image switched out to become SBP. Her eyes widened.

Red Bird looked back to her half-brother, then right at Slade, but she didn't move to attack. It was like something inside was telling her not to do it. As she watched Slade move closer, the 2nd gen fire controller saw Slade change into SBP for a few seconds then back into Slade. Thinking back to her research on all of her grandfather's villains, she remembered something about one of them and that's when it hit her. "Fear Toxin," she said lowly, but as Slade changed back into SBP, she saw the worry on his face. She knew he heard her.

Areina looked down at her brother. She concentrated and his image faded away to a shaking, whimpering Meygan.

SBP got in a good punch to Mordred's face. "What did you do_ to them!?_" he demanded.

"That's my cue to leave. Your team is broken, Martian. Watchtower is ours." Mordred then vanished, leaving behind two shocked male heroes.

"We have to tell both Nightwings the LOD is gunning for Watchtower," Terry said.

Kevin shook his head; Meygan and Mona's minds were bombarding him. Their fears were in his mind and it scared him to witness such brutality.

Areina started to shake herself.

Terry wasted no time. He tapped his comm link. "Syfon, we need a tube now! Meygan's down!"

"It's…it's F-fear Tox-toxin," Areina added. "Tell my uncles…and Bruce."

SBP reached the girls as a Boom Tube appeared. He kneeled to take Meygan from Areina. The instant he did, Meygan erupted into a hellion.

She started to punch at Kevin with everything she had, screaming that he can't have her skin. She felt her legs get restrained and she managed to kick away whatever it was.

Terry was thrown back by the kick to his face.

But Kevin seized her mind and knocked both girls out.

Areina kept seeing SBP change into Slade and back again, but she had to keep her mind clear. She finally got an idea and looked at Kevin, who was himself. "I can't take this; knock me out too."

SBP could feel the fear radiating off of her and he knew that she was right. He reluctantly entered her mind and knocked her out. Terry caught her as she fell backward and the two boys carried the girls through the Boom Tube.

** Now we know what happened to Meygan. But what happened to Mathen? Why did he react to his sister that way? Stay tuned to the final chapter? **


	3. Chapter 3

The Downfall of the Team

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: Reina Grayson had to help me with this final chapter, so 75% of this was written with her help. I would have been stuck on this if she hadn't. We had fun writing this together and I will not start AAF (An Apprentice's Future) until after Thanksgiving. I have to pace myself for I still need to write up the few chapters I did write down. So without further ado…

Chapter 3

Mathen Grayson, aka Nightwing II, sat at his sister's bedside as both she and his cousin, Areina, were out cold and were given the cure to the Fear Toxin. He felt so guilty for letting Strife enter him and making him say what he had always not voiced. But the damage was done; the Legion of Doom wanted to tear the team apart and with both leaders damaged, they won.

He stared at his little sister. He had felt like everyone was so concerned about her after she had died and came back. He knew it was because Aunt Raven had preform a miracle and no one wanted her to be caught like that again. So everyone trained her. Taught her a skill that they felt she could use.

And he got pushed to the side. But that wasn't the worse thing. The worse thing was his guilt. HE did this to her. He let her die. He let her face Deathstroke alone. HE was the reason she died in the first place. His own twin die, leaving him and Orin'ahm to deal with the aftermath. He caused death wherever he was.

And Mathen couldn't lead the team knowing he already tore his sister apart emotionally. All Strife did was push him to say what he felt. And that guilt was just as bad.

IT was a good thing that Miss X (formerly Miss Martian), his Aunt M'gann, was able to drive Strife out of him for good. But that didn't help with how he felt.

"Mathen?" Siren came into the Med Bay, walking past the comatose Kid Flash and the newest addition to the Kent Family, Wesley Kent, before standing behind Mathen. Her hand went to his shoulder. "They'll be ok. It wasn't your fault."

"I wrecked the team, Olivia." It was said quietly, softly, so no one could hear if they came in.

"You did not. That wasn't you."

"But they were words I've held in my mind and heart." Mathen looked up at Siren and her blonde hair tickled his nose, so he pushed it out of the way. "She's never going to forgive me."

"I think she will. I'm an only child, so I don't know for sure. Why don't we head off to eat? You haven't eaten in hours." Siren slowly pulled him to his feet. "I mean, if you won't want to eat, I can enjoy my ice cream and you can watch."

Mathen chuckled. Siren was so shy and cute when she fumbled with words. "Ok. I can watch you eat."

Siren blushed but she led the distraught leader out of the Med Bay.

Med Bay, hours later…

Areina woke up.

Faces were swimming in her line of vision before it cleared up. That's when she realized that the fear was gone. "Terry?"

It was Bruce that came into view. "Are you alright?"

"Mordred had a fireball with his name on it when I see him again." She slowly sat up. She saw Orin sitting in the chair next to her med bed, Terry behind him and Bruce was off to their left.

"You were lucky," Bruce said. "You didn't get much of the Fear Toxin into your blood. I think your body was burning it out almost as soon as it entered you."

"But it still affected me."

"It was high dose coming at you," Terry added.

Areina started to think about what the toxin had showed her and she began to cry.

"It's okay, Beautiful. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real."

Areina looked over at the bed next to her. Meygan was still out, a bag hanging over her with a line going into her arm. Kevin was holding her hand, a worried look in his eyes.

"I saw Slade kill Vincent. He said he got the last archer."

"Meygan wouldn't let that happen," Kevin said to Areina. "You've been cured now. It's over for you."

"What about Meygan?"

"Both her and Mona had enough Fear Toxin in them to kill them both. That's their 2nd bag of the cure," Bruce smiled sadly. Neither of his granddaughters deserved to get hit with Scarecrow's legacy like that.

"Two bags worth!?" Areina was ready to cry again.

"Jason, Dick and I had to whip up a batch fast, "Bruce added. His voice hitched; as if he still couldn't believe he had Jason back.

Areina leaned into Orin and he took her into his lap. "She's going to be fine. Meygan will bounce back from this, she always does. She's not called the Fearless One for nothing," he told her quietly.

Areina thought about it and that's when it came to her; Meygan wasn't going to be fine; not if that much toxin was in her blood.

Terry fingered his black and blue bruise on his face. "She kicks hard."

"That would have been because I taught her how," Orin said, embarrassed.

"Oh Terry." Areina saw the bruise and it was _bad._ "Where _is_ everyone else at? I want to see Vincent." She had to see her younger brother. Just to be sure.

"I'll get him." Bruce made his exit.

"Dick and Jason had a team training exercise planned. SO everyone else is there." Terry then sat on the bed behind him.

"And Mathen?" She was so going to yell at her cousin when she saw him. Why would he do that to his own sister?

"That wasn't him," Orin said. "It was Strife. He got a hold of Mathen. We think it happened when he was trying to get Strife out of Meygan and he burned her."

"He needs to burn," she said, getting heated.

"After _I _drown him and Kevin rips his mind apart." Orin nodded to Meygan's mate and Kevin nodded back.

"We're out of time," Terry said. "The LOD keep coming at us."

"I agree. We need to find their true headquarters and invite ourselves in," Kevin told them. "Hit them where it hurts."

Areina then heard the door slide open and Vincent ran inside. His costume was a little dirty, which meant he had been training. She got up and ran to her brother, crying softly. She had to be sure he was ok.

Vincent held his sister close. He was happy she was ok too.

"Promise me that you won't _ever_ face Slade alone."

"What?" Vincent was confused.

"He killed you in front of me."

Archeron nodded. "Meygan would have my head if I did intentionally," he said to his sister.

"So would I but I can't lose you, little brother," Areina said, tears flowing harder.

They were the same height so 'little' was relative. "I promise." He understood why his sister felt that way. They were Red Arrow's only living children. They were all the other had. He looked over at Meygan. He knew what both she and Mona dealt with. Their bond worked both ways and it took all of his self-control to stay sane. Mona had watched her own skin get peeled off of her. Meygan had died again. Meygan was afraid of Slade. Because he already killed her. And the bond-siblings knew he would do it again.

In another part of Watchtower…

Ace was getting closer to the source of the oddly familiar scent. He sniffed along the wall, heading for the power generators.

The Rottweiler mix then found a black puddle by the generators. He sniffed it. A low growl came from the dog's throat. This was the scent he had picked up.

The black puddle then lashed out, catching Ace and threw him into the wall, knocking him out.

"Stupid dog," the black puddle said, slithering away.

Back at the Med Bay…

Meygan woke up. Her eyes were red, taking in her surroundings. She wasn't cold. In fact, she was numb.

Again.

It disappointed her.

It had been so long since she had felt anything; hot, cold, anything and everything.

She sat up & felt her hand being held. Then she saw she was in her bra and panties.

Kevin was asleep next to her med bed and she blushed, remembering how she ended up like that; Mordred stripped her.

Meygan shook her head to clear it. She looked at her arm, seeing the fading scars of the thorns piercing her skin. She trembled, remembering that Mona tried to take in the Fear Toxin but it was too much for the demon to take. She followed the line from her arm to the bad hanging above her.

"Hey." Kevin sat up, wiping at his eyes.

Meygan pulled the sheet up to her chin. "Hi."

"Shy, my princess? I've seen every perfect inch of you," Kevin teased gently.

She knew she wasn't. She peered down at the scar right about her heart. IT was the only scar that never healed. Her eyes were to blue, blushing as it happened. "Behave, Kevin Kent."

"I always do."

Meygan watched as he gently pulled the sheet down to her waist. Then he took her into his arms and held her. "I thought you were going to die."

Meygan let him hold her. "I didn't mean to make you scared."

"I was terrified for you!"

"But I'm fine now." She gently eased herself away from his arms. "I'm cured." Meygan used her well-trained complacent smile to hide everything as Mona set herself up to not let Kevin read the truth.

"You're not, you know." Kevin sensed that she was but his instincts said otherwise. "Your grandpa wanted this bag finished before you can leave." Kevin probed her mind and everything seemed fine. "Mathen's been worried sick about you."

"You boys treat me like I'm fragile but I'm not."

"We know you're not."

"Um, where are my clothes? I want to get dress." Meygan knew she was temping Kevin as she was.

"Do you have to?" he pouted.

"Yes. Unless you want the others to see me like this. Or maybe Brian should wake up to me like this."

Kevin mumbled as he reached for a pile of clothes and handed them off to her. "Fine. But I want you later."

"Easy there, my Kryptonian Prince. Let me get all of this cure into me first."

It took some time, for the line had to be removed before she could get dressed. She wore jeans, a red flannel tee over a black long sleeved thermal. Then she pulled the sleeve back up to let Kevin reinsert the line.

Just as Meygan lay back on the bed, the Med Bay door opened and this generation's Dynamic Duo came walking through. "Meygan! It's great to see you're awake! I was worried about you, especially after I got a dose of the Fear Toxin. I told Kevin to tell Grandpa and Uncle Dick about it, and they got the cure ready," Areina told her cousin.

"Thanks cuz. I appreciate it. I'm all better now." Meygan knew it was coming though. She was going to have to put on a performance of a lifetime.

Areina and Terry shared a look.

"You were screaming and kicking at everyone once I got you free from those vines. You broke Terry's eye socket. What were you seeing to get you to react like that?" Areina asked, curious as to what scared her cousin so badly.

"And that's not what Bruce said. He said you and Mona would have been dead, you two had so much of it in you."

"Nothing, Areina. I'm good now. And Grandpa's getting senile in his old age. I can't die."

"Meygan, what did you see?" Kevin asked.

"Meygan…I saw Slade kill Vincent and that was just a tiny dose. You had tons more in you and Mona; please, what did you see? It's okay, it's only us around." Areina added, concern in her voice.

"I didn't see anything; it was all Mona." Meygan wasn't going to let anyone know she feared death. Especially if Slade was dealing it out. "And sorry about your eye, Terry."

"Hey, I better let everyone know you're okay." Kevin kissed Meygan on the cheek and took his leave. He knew those three were going to be arguing in a few minutes. Maybe that would wake Brian up.

"I'm not buying it, Meygan. I get that you're co-leader. I get that you are revered by the guys. But don't lie to us," Terry told her.

"I'm not," she said convincingly.

Areina heard the slight tremble in her voice. She had been raised to notice such things. "You're keeping it from us, that's the same as lying. Please Meygan, what's wrong?" the fire controller said.

"_I told you both nothing! I won't betray Mona's trust in me!_ Her fears are no one's business!"

Terry was about to say something but Areina touched his shoulder. "Let's go, Terry. I'm sure Meygan and Mona will tell us when they both are ready."

Meygan's eyes went red. "Wow, Areina. You're so quick to give up already." But it wasn't Meygan's voice. The raspy voice was Mona, Meygan's demon.

"Hey, how about a warning next time," Terry said, seeing the wavering image of Mona over Meygan.

"Sorry, handsome. Meygan's just looking out for me. I didn't mean to hurt you though. It was me kicking, not her. I'm sorry."

Terry heard the remorse in her raspy voice. Demons…

"Mona…we don't know you very well, but I personally respect what Meygan said; if you don't want your trust in my cousin lost. When you're ready, you can tell us," Areina told the demon.

"I saw my family rip my skin off of me." They both gaped. "You're worried about Meygan. I didn't want you two to think it was some big secret."

"Some fears need to be shared. But you don't have to answer if you don't want to…why would your family do that to you?" Areina asked.

"When I agreed to help keep Meygan alive, I left my family behind. Destruction Demons don't help mortals; we feed off of them and kill them when we're done. SO I did the ultimate betrayal and helped a mortal. I can never return home. Because if I do, once my skin is peeled from my body, I would be hung from a pole and eaten alive."

Areina didn't know what to say and Terry was still trying to process it all. That was when Mona saw a single tear come out of Areina's eyes.

"Don't cry for me, Fire Master. I am 109 years old. I knew what I was risking when I left." Mona felt terrible for what she revealed to them. Terry looked ready to hurl once his mind processed it all. "You revealed your fear, Red Bird. I could at least reveal mine."

Terry still looked green. "So it was all you?"

"I tried my hardest to spare Meygan. But don't let her fool you into thinking she was unaffected."

"So she saw her fears too," Areina mused sadly.

"What did she see?" Terry asked.

"I can't tell you that, but I will tell you both this: when Meygan came back to life, she visited your father's grave, Areina."

Areina's jaw dropped. "What…why would she visit Roy's grave?"

"She made a vow to your father about Vincent. She overheard the adults the day he died. She knew from the age of 5 that Red Arrow was Vincent's father. So she vowed to him that Vincent would never die."

More tears came to Areina's eyes. How could someone so young make a promise like that? Meygan was just seven when Slade killed her and she was now keeping a very big promise to Roy.

"Now that she knows you're his child too, that promise covers you as well."

Now Areina understood why when they had been captured by Drow and Stalker together that she wanted to make sure she stayed alive.

"Meygan had the power to make Vincent an immortal, because of their bond. But he would have to choose that."

"What happened when Slade was here?" Terry asked Mona.

"I can't tell you that. But Vincent can." Mona then shook her head. Terry thought she was going to faint but Meygan's blue eyes returned. "Happy now? You got her to open up." Meygan sounded mad.

"We were just worried about you," Terry said.

"I don't want to lose anyone else to the LOD. I lost my dad to Slade and my mom to Ra's. You and Mona don't have to be alone in protecting everyone else. You have us," Areina added.

"We are alone, Areina. We are demon. We do what we must." Meygan folded her arms. "Now, if you don't mind, I like to check on Beta Squad." She unceremoniously pulled out the line and slid off the bed.

"You need to finish that bad," Terry told her.

"Make me, Batman." But Terry had briefly changed to Slade and back again on her suddenly. She maintained her composure, but just barely. She could deal with that on her own. She was a tough girl. When neither did anything to her, she shook her head in disappointment and walked from the Med Bay.

Areina watched her cousin go and she grew even more worried. Meygan was keeping so much from them all and Mona only gave her a small idea. She believed she knew what her cousin's fear was. IT was about Slade.

But to confirm it, she would ask her brother about when Slade invaded Watchtower when they were the only ones there. She wanted to know what happened to them.

*** That's it! It's time for the climatic story arc of this BB saga! Coming after Cyber Monday: #27: An Apprentice's Future:

The Flash was gone. Wally West, who had replaced his uncle as The Flash in the BB universe. The Legion of Doom has taken over the Earth. The heroes, their children and allies are trapped at Watchtower in space. Can Archeron (the son of Tigress and Red Arrow) and Rave (the eldest daughter of Nightwing and Lady Merline) save their Uncle Wally in the past and defeat the LOD? What role will Batman (Terry McGinnis), Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Kid Fate (the son of Nabu,_ the_ Doctor Fate) play in the outcome? Stay tuned to find out!


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